Updated: Meth, Marijuana and Money found during multi-county bust

February 19, 2010|KSPR News

Updated: Meth, Marijuana and Money found during multi-county bust

5:30 p.m. Update: Webster county officials say an informant led them to one of the largest meth dealers in the county. After months of investigation, several agencies teamed up to arrest 10 people and seize meth, marijuana and guns. Marshfield police made an arrest and they say the people started talking. Officers say they lead them to a family of dealers. The Webster County Sheriff’s Department, Dallas County Sheriff’s Department and C.O.M.E.T. task force members seized three pounds of methamphetamine, one pound of marijuana, 25 guns and cash from a rural Conway home. Officers arrested a 45-year-old man his 54-year-old wife their 30-year-old daughter and a 24-year-old man. KSPR will release their names when they are formally charged. "It used to be we knew everyone who went up and down the road" Lane Neal said. He was born in Conway and says the city has changed. Neal says he recently had car radiators stolen from his vehicles, tools and livestock. "We've had 16 cattle rustled," Neal said. He says meth isn't seen but he's not surprised. "If you manufacture it in a rural setting, they have less chance of getting caught then in a more populated area." Another search warrant in Marshfield started the investigation. Officers say they arrested a group with an “eightball” or about 3.5 grams of meth. Investigators say they were willing to tell officers where they got their drugs. "We've been getting leads for a long time large amounts of meth were being sold from this particular place," Webster County Sheriff Roye Cole said. Two more search warrants allowed officers to search the Conway family's home and the mobile home on the property. "There were 3 children we took into protective custody," Cole said. The sheriff says seizing the drugs will only put a small dent in the county's meth problem. "When it comes to methamphetamine it’s being made in cars, barns, closets," Cole said. "Without stopping Pseudoephedrine we will have a difficult time stopping the production of meth." Because the investigation crossed county lines into Dallas County and the amount of meth found, officers will likely send the case to federal prosecutors. Noon Update: A joint task force served three search warrants Thursday in the Marshfield and Conway areas. After months of investigation the officers arrested one man and three of his family members. The family lived in 2 homes on the same property in Conway. Three children that were living in the homes were taken into protective custody. Found at the homes were 3 pounds of Methamphetamine, 1 pound of Marijuana, 25 guns and a large amount of cash. Officers believe the suspects were major drug distributors in Webster and Dallas counties. They have not been charged yet. Once they are, KSPR will release their names. Tune into KSPR News at 4:00 and 6:00 for the latest on the raids.